Sinn Féin - On Your Side

Sinn Féin continue to support Shell to Sea Campaign - Ó Broin

Speaking this afternoon from Rossport Sinn Féin Dun Laoghaire representative
Eoin Ó Broin has pledged the party’s full support to this campaign and vowed
to continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the community in their fight
against this Shell Corrib Project.

Mr Ó Broin stated that “this morning has seen activists travel from all over
the island to show solidarity with the local community, who are vehemently
opposed to the Shell Corrib Project, despite media and government spin.

“I strongly condemn the heavy handed tactics by Gardaí during this morning’s
peaceful process. It was both unacceptable and unnecessary.

“This campaign has sought to prevent the construction of a potentially
lethal pipeline carrying unprocessed odourless gas at dangerously high
pressure in close proximity to local’s homes.

“This type of project has never been tried before and it is unacceptable
that Shell and this Fianna Fáil led government are willing to use locals as
guinea pigs in their experiment in order to save money.

“Let us not forget Fianna Fáil has created this impasse by literally handing
over the country’s oil and gas fields to multinationals at no real fiscal
benefit to the country’s citizens.

“The state’s role should be one of maintaining Ireland’s natural
resources on behalf of the people and any sale and development of such
resources should be of maximum benefit the people, not multinationals.

“Instead we are witnessing the mass giveaway of a vital natural resource to
Shell, Statoil and Marathon. The estimated value of the Corrib gas find
alone is €8.4 billion. Just imagine what this money could achieve by being
pumped into healthcare, transport and education projects, instead of going
straight into Shell profits.

“This is the great gas giveaway and Sinn Féin will oppose this government’s
reckless policy of overseeing Shell’s robbery of our natural resources.”